The present invention belongs to the technical field of an image recording apparatus such as an ink jet printer. In particular, the present invention relates to an image recording apparatus capable of achieving high productivity by transporting recording media in parallel as needed and capable of easily performing switching between parallel transport and single-line transport.
As a method of achieving an enhancement in productivity in various types of image recording apparatus including an ink jet printer, there is known a method in which recording media are transported in a plurality of lines arranged in a direction (hereinafter referred to as the width direction) perpendicular to a recording medium transporting direction (hereinafter referred to as the parallel transport) and in which image recording (drawing) and a post-processing after image recording are performed in this parallel transport state.
It goes without saying that to output proper prints, the recording media must be positioned properly in the width direction at the time of image recording, etc.
For this purpose, there have been proposed various regulating guides for regulating positions of the recording media in the width direction in conformity with the image recording apparatus in which the image recording is to be performed through the parallel transport.
For example, JP 2003-260839 A (hereinafter referred to as Patent Document 1) discloses an image recording apparatus having a regulating guide composed of a fixed guide which has at either end in the width direction a groove for regulating a position of one end (i.e., end in the width direction) of a recording medium and which is fixed to a support plate so as to be situated at the center in the width direction, and two movable guides each of which has a groove for regulating a position of the other end of a recording medium on the inner side in the width direction and which are situated at both sides in the width direction of the fixed guide and movable in the width direction. The regulating guide has the pair of movable guides situated at both sides in the width direction of the fixed guide as two movable guides, and a plurality of mounting portions for mounting the movable guides are arranged side by side in the width direction on the support plate, so that the movable guides are detachable in the width direction.
With this regulating guide, the distance between the movable guides (their positions in the width direction) is adjusted, whereby it is possible to perform the parallel transport of recording media while properly regulating their positions in the width direction in conformity with recording media of various sizes (widths). However, in the image recording apparatus using this regulating guide, it is impossible to perform the image recording through the single-line transport in which the recording media are not arranged in a plurality of lines, so it is impossible to perform the image recording using a large recording medium whose size is in excess of the movable range of the movable guides.
In this connection, JP 2003-261249 A (hereinafter referred to as Patent Document 2) discloses an image recording apparatus having a regulating guide composed of a central guide situated at the center in the width direction and having at either end in the width direction a groove for regulating a position of one end of each recording medium, two movable guides which have on inner sides with respect to the width direction grooves for regulating positions of the other ends of the recording media and which are situated on both sides in the width direction of the central guide and movable in the width direction, and a retreat mechanism which moves the central guide in a direction (hereinafter referred to as the vertical direction) substantially perpendicular to a recording medium transport plane to thereby cause the central guide to retreat from the transport plane where transport is effected along the movable guides.
As in the case of Patent Document 1, with this regulating guide, it is possible to perform the parallel transport in conformity with recording media of various sizes by the central guide and the movable guides. Further, with this regulating guide, by vertically moving the central guide, it is also possible to perform the single-line transport using the movable guides alone.